Cigarette makers lose appeal in landmark case

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A federal appeals court on Friday agreed with the major elements of a 2006 landmark ruling that found the nation's top tobacco companies guilty of racketeering and fraud for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington unanimously upheld requirements that manufacturers change the way they market cigarettes. The requirements, which have been on hold pending appeal, would ban labels such as "low tar," "light," "ultra light" or "mild," since such cigarettes have been found no safer than others.

Throughout the 10 years the case has been litigated, tobacco companies have denied committing fraud. The companies argued the ban on labels like "light" would cost them hundreds of millions of dollars.

Philip Morris USA and its parent company, Altria Group Inc., said they will appeal to the Supreme Court.

Read more: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Cigarette-makers-lose-appeal-apf-15331482.html?sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode=

[onehandle]

1. Take. Them. Down. nt

[UpInArms]

2. I believe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JkcHW_w114

that these guys should be in prison

[Speck Tater]

3. As far as I'm concerned, they never had much appeal in the first place. nt

[underpants]

4. Good

:thumbsup:

[Honeycombe8]

5. As a former smoker who smoked ultra lights, I STILL believe they are safer...

than stronger ciggies, even if there are no studies to back that up. I am not surprised that the NHA hasn't found ultra lights to be safer than stronger ciggies. Or that it hasn't found supplemental vitamins to be helpful. Or that it hasn't found ANYTHING out that interferes with big pharma's profits or that goes against any dictate the NHA has stated.

All you have to do is stand next to someone smoking a filter-less Camel, then waltz over and stand next to someone smoking a Carlton (one of the lightest ciggies made, if not THE lightest). You'll be able to tell the difference. The smokers of the two ciggies will have noticeably physical differences, too. The teeth of the Camel smokers will be much worse than the Carlton's, and the Camel smoker's skin pallor will be more ashen. The Camel smoker will likely cough more.

I still think that there IS a difference in the harmful effects of stronger vs. much lighter ciggies. There may not be much if any difference between somewhat strong and somewhat light ciggies, though.

I'm SO glad I quit, though. It really cut my breath so that I couldn't do aerobics or work in my yard very long. Smoking does help curb the appetite, though, which ironically, causes a person to live longer. And I handled stress much better when I smoked (there are some studies that back that up, about the stress).

[defendandprotect]

6. Didn't the filters have ASBESTOS in them . . . Kent's did, I think --

Hate to even think about that one!

[Honeycombe8]

7. Whoa. I've never heard that. How horrible is THAT! nt

[Vidar]

8. Good.